How to Build a Coal Forge

A simple forge can be made with a few household items, some store-bought ones and a little ingenuity. This lesson teaches how to make a coal forge using an old brake drum.

Learning blacksmithing includes learning to build your own forge. A bellows or other blowing apparatus blasts air under the coals in the forge to keep the temperature up, allowing metals to be manipulated. The heated metals are shaped, refined and further refined in the fire.

This lesson covers coal forges but there are also gas forges, which is outside of the scope of this lesson.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Used brake drum 2-inch flange 3 2-inch threaded pipe nipples 3 5/16-inch wing nuts 2-inch T-joint 2-inch pipe cap 2 yards of corrugated tubing Hairdryer Surge protector

1. Make sure the holes on the flange line up with the holes on the brake drum, or else you will have to drill them in.

2. The next step is to make the duct pot. Start by connecting your flange to the top of your T-joint.

3. Cap the other end of the T-joint with the 2-inch pipe cap.

4. Using the wing nuts, attach your duct pot to the brake drum. Now you have a forge.

5. Attach the corrugated tubing to the transport pipe or middle pipe of the T-joint and secure it with duct tape.

6. Now attach the hair dyer to the opposite (open) end of the corrugated tubing and secure that with duct tape.

7. Fit your forge into a housing of your choosing.

Tips & Warnings

• Thank you for reading this article, I hope it was informative. A final word, always remember to use proper safety gear when working on your projects.

Resources

• Old-time Blacksmithing
• Vintage Projects - Downloadable Forge Instructions
• Enrique ArtMetal -- Master Blacksmithing
• Primitive Blacksmithing -- Ed Cotton
• The Art of the Blacksmith; Illustrated & Explained